Best Tripods for Mirrorless Cameras

Mirrorless cameras are the way of the future, they do everything the bulkier and heavier DSLR’s do but come in a much more compact and lighter body. I’ve been using them for around 3 years now and I did a post talking about which mirrorless camera’s I recommend, you’d be surprised how affordable they are! If you want to see how much the pro to entry-level mirrorless cameras cost, then check out the blog post over at this link “Best Mirrorless Cameras”.I talk about which cameras I have used in the past and am currently using at the moment.

This particular post though looks specifically at tripod recommendations for MIRRORLESS CAMERAS, but they will also suit entry level DSLR’s and even PRO DSLR’s combined with the lighter lenses.

Over the years I have gained some valuable experience when it comes to camera gear that I would like to pass on with every so I compiled a list of tripods that suit the modern day mirrorless cameras. I have been creating photographs since the film days but my main digital cameras in the last 10 years have been the Nikon D5100, Nikon D800, Sony RX 100 ii, Sony A7R and the Sony A5100. These cameras range in size from the pocket rocket mirrorless RX 100 series camera to the much larger and heavier PRO DSLR D800. I’ve tried many different builds and sized tripods to go with these cameras as well from the $40 budget tripod all the way up to your $1,000 carbon fiber tripod and ball head.

When it comes to tripods they vary greatly in size and weight just like our camera and lens setups do as well, so it’s important to get a tripod that will match your camera!!! Why is this important you might ask? Well the main problems you can run into is that your ball head may not support the weight of a camera and lens setup or your tripod is over the top in size and features. These over the top tripods can have you carrying many extra kilograms of weight when you are out in the field and it can really tire you out! A good mirrorless camera tripod should be light in weight, be compact when folded up but also be tall enough for you to comfortably see through the camera viewfinder with bending over, so height is also a major factor here.

So without further ado I try to break down the mirrorless camera tripods into categories of price. If you have a large budget for a tripod then you should definitely select the Best Tripod and ball head combo a the bottom of this page but if you are just starting out and want to get your first tripod then there are a lot of other options here as well.

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This Basics 52-Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with Bag is for those that have gotten their first mirrorless camera, perhaps the Sony A5100, and they’d love to own a carbon fiber tripod to take it out into the field. Tripod legs are often either a metal alloy OR the much lighter carbon fiber material like this one. This tripod fits into your travel tripod category and it’s these tripods which are perfect for mirrorless cameras. Take a look at the link to see how it folds up into a neat little package and it even comes with it’s own bag making it perfect for taking on the plane or any type of travel. This one is also great for just exploring your local landscape.

When you unpack a new manfrotto tripod, you know instantly that you’ve gotten a quality tripod. If you can afford that little extra money to put into a tripod it is definitely worth looking at the Manfrotto BeFree Aluminium Tripods. I have suggested this Aluminium version of the BeFree series first because you can pick one up for such a bargain. Plus because these tripods, being designed for travel, are so compact they are actually really light in weight. There is a lighter version of this tripod as well which I have suggested as my level above this one. They come in a variety of colours and even a neat little carrying case!

The Manfrotto BeFree Tripod also comes in a carbon fiber option, which means the legs are made out of a super light carbon fiber material. This means the cost of the tripod is a little higher but if weight is an issue for you then this is the better choice of tripod. If you were just going to have the tripod at a function or an event then by all means go for the Manfrotto BeFree Aluminium Tripod. But if you are going to be out hiking up mountains or winding your way through a busy city then I would strongly suggest getting this carbon fiber version of the Manfrotto BeFree Tripods. The build quality is great, they are very compact and are considered a travel tripod. Perfect for your mirrorless cameras, APS-C to Full Frame!

I purchased my first FEISOL tripod 4 years ago and they are offer nothing but professional grade gear! They’re the kind of tripods that make you proud to own 😉 This is their carbon fiber travel tripod, The Feisol Traveller Tripod 4 Section Carbon Fiber with CB-40D Ball Head. This is an excellent combination of tripod legs and ballhead and it offers the perfect combination of height whilst keeping the weight extremely light at only 1.17kg. When you see this tripod fully extended to 73.6″ and feel it’s weight you will fall in love with it. Plus being a travel tripod it needs to be small when folded up and it shrinks down to a length of 16.93″ !!! This has got to be one of my favourite combinations for of tripod and ballhead on the market, especially for a tall guys like myself (no sore backs bending down to look through the viewfinder with this tripod!). If you can stretch the extra dollar than you should seriously consider the Feisol CT-3441SB40 Traveller Tripod!

Gitzo GT1544T +SunwayFoto FB-28i,! When you get into the professional grade tripods you often buy the legs and ball head separately as they start to be designed specifically for various camera bodies, lenses and uses. Gitzo is known for offering luxury camera tripods and this combination is perfect for your Sony A7 series mirrorless cameras. Their latest generation G-Lock technology in the legs is key feature offering an efficient and balanced system. The SunwayFoto Ballhead is smooth and precise and fits perfectly between the folded legs. There are many high end features on this setup and if you want the best of the best then this is the tripod for you! The tripod legs are the Gitzo GT1544T and must be purchased separately to the SunwayFoto FB-28i, please see the links below. Another noteworthy piece of information about this ballhead is that it’s completely Arca compatible, so any arca plate style can be used with this ballhead 🙂